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italics writing style

I found this half word italics style in an old book (The Catcher in the Rye) I am reading:
"He didn't want you to think he was visiting you or anything. He wanted you to think he'd come in by mistake, for God's sake."[...]
"Nobody won."[...]
"On the subway, for Chrissake!"

Some words are half italicized, I guess for syllabic stress.

I am wondering whether this style would still be in use nowadays.
Have you seen it anywhere else?
Do you use it?

Re: italics writing style

Originally Posted by ymnisky

I found this half word italics style in an old book (The Catcher in the Rye) I am reading:
"He didn't want you to think he was visiting you or anything. He wanted you to think he'd come in by mistake, for God's sake."[...]
"Nobody won."[...]
"On the subway, for Chrissake!"

Some words are half italicized, I guess for syllabic stress.

I am wondering whether this style would still be in use nowadays.
Have you seen it anywhere else?
Do you use it?

PS Feel free to point out any mistakes in my posts

I do use it, but only for whole words. You're right, it's to stress the syllable to give the reader some idea of the cadence of the speaker. It's legitimate in novels for that purpose. You can use italics in formal academic essays to stress words, as long as you don't overdo it. In fact, that is the correct way to do it. But too many stressed words could make your professor think you've gone hysterical for some reason.

PS: Also note how a whole post is converted into italics when it's quoted. I'm not really sure of the reason for that, since it destroys your message.

Re: italics writing style

Originally Posted by Raymott

I do use it, but only for whole words. You're right, it's to stress the syllable to give the reader some idea of the cadence of the speaker. It's legitimate in novels for that purpose. You can use italics in formal academic essays to stress words, as long as you don't overdo it. In fact, that is the correct way to do it. But too many stressed words could make your professor think you've gone hysterical for some reason.

PS: Also note how a whole post is converted into italics when it's quoted. I'm not really sure of the reason for that, since it destroys your message.

Italics are generally seen as markers of otherness or alterity. Someone else's words, or some other voice. By extension, sometimes, some other type of tone.

Re: italics writing style

Thanks Raymott and konungursvia.

The main reason I asked this question here is related to stressing only part of the words, let´s say only some syllables.
Although I´ve been recently reading a certaing variety of written English styles, I had never come accross with this one before.

I wonder if other members have already seen it, or have ever themselves used it.

Re: italics writing style

Oh, right, no, not usually half-word italics, but you have to recognize that English is inflected with the least obvious or most pertinent syllable stronger than the others, so while Salinger is dancing to the beat of his own drum, extending a tradition to new ground, it's well within the natural scope of English to do that.